Fall 2026 Militaria and Aviation Auction
Lot 239:
Description
WWI French LaFayette Flying Corps Uniform – Atributed. Impressive World War I French aviation uniform group attributed to Joe Stehlin, an American aviator associated with the Lafayette Flying Corps, comprising a horizon-blue (bleu horizon) wool tunic with matching breeches/trousers and side cap. The tunic is cut in the characteristic French wartime style and retains a striking combination of aviation and branch insignia reflecting the fluid organization of the French Aeronautique Militaire during the First World War. The scarlet collar tabs bear artillery branch insignia, rather than dedicated aviation devices. This is not inherently inconsistent with aviation service, as the French military aviation arm developed administratively from the Army and personnel could retain or wear insignia reflecting their parent branch or earlier service while assigned to flying units.
The tunic features period aviation-associated insignia and decorations, including a French military pilot’s brevet badge mounted on the left breast above a three-place ribbon bar. The ribbons are consistent in appearance with French and Allied awards of the period, including a red ribbon associated with the Legion d’honneur, a green-and-red ribbon consistent with the Croix de Guerre, and a blue field with white stars and red-white edging associated with the Lafayette Flying Corps. The tunic also retains aviation-pattern buttons and wartime rank/service insignia to the sleeves. The matching bleu horizon trousers display the distinctive red lateral stripe, or lampasse, while the matching side cap carries a winged-propeller aviation device.
The presence of artillery collar insignia should be understood within the broader historical context of the French air arm. During World War I, the Aeronautique Militaire was still an element of the French Army rather than an independent air force, and many pilots, observers, and aviation officers came from established branches such as artillery, cavalry, and infantry. Artillery personnel were particularly important to early aviation because aerial observation and reconnaissance were closely tied to artillery spotting and fire correction. As a result, mixed branch and aviation insignia are encountered on period uniforms and do not, by themselves, conflict with aviation service.
This group is attributed to Lafayette Flying Corps aviator Joe Stehlin. His medals, documents, and additional associated material were reportedly sold separately prior to the present offering, and the uniform itself is not named or internally identified. Accordingly, the attribution should be considered provenance-based rather than established solely by markings within the garments. Even so, the combination of bleu horizon uniforming, aviation insignia, pilot brevet, ribbon bar, and wartime branch insignia makes this a particularly evocative surviving example of French military aviation dress from the First World War.
The uniform displays expected age and service wear, including scattered staining, toning, minor soiling, and general textile wear consistent with its age. Insignia and ribbons show period wear and oxidation as photographed. An excellent display and research grouping for collectors of World War I aviation, French Aeronautique Militaire, Lafayette Escadrille/Lafayette Flying Corps material, French uniforms, and early military flight history. Buyer should review all photographs carefully for exact insignia, construction, condition, and completeness. Includes sidecap, but this may have come from a different group.
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